The Portals
by Forgzillar
Summary: Warning, some course langue and violence, this is more of a spin off and use loose connections with the worlds lore, but rater is is alternate reality version. it follows the story of a young man who travels a new land as he tries to find the answer as to why he is here and what he has in realation to the portal that brought him here to this strange land. update Fridays
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A land a far from home

I awoke to the clicking sound of the fire, I hit the button on my watch and the light lit up revealing the time to be 6:03 am. "Balls" I wisped only the birds seamed to hear my cry and sang back in kind. I felt a twinge of pain as I tried to get up, I had slept on my rifle again and the scope had stuck into my back at an odd angle so I wouldn't be making as good time as I thought. I stood up my back flaring up with pain as sort of a protest,

"I rest when I'm dead" murmured to myself as I began packing up the camp site.

It was while I was putting on my hoddie that the sun rolled over the hill and got me in the eye blinding me. I staggered backward, the light followed me. Putting on shades I could get a good look at my apparel it wasn't much. A dull grey hoddie, with a pair of brown boots both of witch where worn, some black track pants and a pale blue shirt. I wasn't much to look at, it was then I heard a rustling in the bushes I nearly had a heart attack. As this happened I dived into a roll and grabbed my wood axe as it was the closets weapon that hadn't been packed up and stood ready to fight whatever came out of the bushes. I was expecting a goblin or a troll so I was taken quite by surprise when a bagger came out.

"Hello there" I spoke in a shaky voice as the bagger waddled over to me.

"How are you little guy" I dipped into my pockets and pulled out walnuts and hoped he would take them to go. He didn't the little prick attacked like knew he would. He lunged at my face and bit my nose, I was pushed backward in pain tripping over a log, the bagger let go of my nose as it hit the ground and made a b line for my coin pouch gabbing it he then ran to a tree and turned around.

"Oh no" I crocked still sore from the fall, it was an appropriate statement, the bagger then rubbed his left back leg against the ground much like the bulls do and broke into a full on sprint as. I quickly grabbed my staff and fired a spell at the little ended with me freezing the little bugger in place at the last second as he was about to start bitting my leg.

After using my ice pick to break myself free, and my wallet, I gathered up my pack and left in a hurry as the bagger could be free any moment. I wander for about an hour, and had to check my map several times, I was sure I was lost but then flowage gave way and the road was suddenly under foot. I stopped walking and looked away from my map the road was old and made of cobble but was serviceable and practically despaired into the forest only three feet away. Not liking the idea of return to the forest I chose to take the path in the opposite direction. To the nice sunny path that lead away from the ravenous baggers. I had walked for about forty minutes when I came upon a fork in the road one and post marked with the vague direction of the local towns, thought the signs where to worn to read I could make out part of the one of the two signs it read "**thachedraven**" the name bugged me I, thought I could have sworn I knew the name. It was twitching there and wouldn't move into view so I suppressed the feeling. I was starting to get the feeling I was on the road less travelled, with a shrug I headed in the direction ofthachedraven.

When I arrived I was disheartened with what I found, the town was a burnt out wreak and it looked as if it had been that way for about ten years I estimated judging from the state of the burnt corpses. It was that of Anglo Saxon village mostly thatched roves though the courses were rather oddly missing any meat, maybe the invaders ate the meat off there bones. Still I searched what was left for anything of value this was when the dead started to rise. I was stunned by this as the cracked and creaked as they got up, there bones returning to their positions, I was broken out of the my stunned silence when one that was putting its arm back in place turned and looked at me. Many of its bones cracked as this happened, I quickly grabbed my rifle pulling it up breath in and out. The skull of the skeleton exploded as the bullet hit, it happened in a rather cartoony fashion but I didn't have time to stop and admire my handy work as the others had now noticed me and they didn't look happy. Well I think as all I could see was smiles on the skulls, pulling the bolt up then back I saw the shell fly off and I pushed it forward and down hearing that familiar click I knew I had reloaded.

"Four" a voice rattled off in my head, as this occurred I took another shot. Another skeletons head exploded several of the fragments hit another making its way past, "three" it said again as I reloaded the gun firing again as soon as was humanly possible.

"Two" this time with panic in the voice, I fired again this time shattering two skulls as this happened they both seems to spin as their skulls shattered.

"One" the voice murmured as it knew that we were down to our last bullet. It was at this point that out of the corner of my eye noticed a skeleton within spitting distance to my left, I spun round bringing the gun to meet his face but it grabbed it before I could fire and brought his pale white bony fist to say hello to my check, much to my cheek was eager to meet his fist and I went clattering to the ground and into the mud losing the rifle as I fell.

I hit the ground with a splosh some of the mud was cold but still a bit wet, I was about to blast the skeleton with a fire bolt when I heard I a scrappy voice

"Paralysis iniquitous" I was frozen in place. My eyes could still move however. I was frozen with my back in wet mud but I could get a better look at the skeletons in current situation, there seemed to be a rather large crowd of them gathering around now and something was of about them. It was their heads they were closer to that of cats than human but their heads were wider and more flattened than the cats and there back was arched over and the bones were thicker, but still couldn't stop bullets apart from that they mirrored a human in almost every detail. The one that had knocked me was now studding the rifle that I had used he was inspecting the barrel it was at this moment that a voice shattered the silence.

"Drop it" said a raspy voice as skeleton made its way through the crowd. My gases quickly shoot to this new voice, it was a tall skeleton much like the others what set it apart from the others however was the staff that it carried long tall with a gem stone at the top cut into a perfect triangle that occasionally let off sparks of red electricity. The staff made my one look like a twig in comparison.

It was at this point that the gun went off and narrowly missed the skeletons head, "zero" the voice spat in my head "well there goes all the bullets now I'm defenceless".

As I was thinking this the skeleton with the staff spoke "What was that?"

"How should I know Bray" the skeleton with gun rattled off in return.

"Well ask the attacker Keviesy" Bray snapped in return

"I would but, you kind of paralysed him and from what I hear it's kind hard to talk when paralysed. It's just a hunch" Keviesy snapped back, the sass in his voice was so thick that it was hard to hear his complaints over it.

"Alright I'll remove the spell but everyone get a spear first" Bray commanded, it was at the point of Bray finishing his sentence that the group of now fifty or so skeleton scuttled off at a at an alarming rate and were all back pointing spears at me in under two minutes. Their speed was quite impressive, after Bray was Confident that they had advantage began the counter curse. I felt the spell lift and I could feel my limbs allowed to move again, straining I got up and the skeletons adjusted the positioning of their spears to match that of my face.

"Well then, what is this device?" Keviesy asked wasting no time with getting to the point. I simply turned to properly face him.

"It's a gun" I replied, adjusting the point of one of the spears.

"A what?" Keviesy asked

"a gun, point pull the trigger and forget" I adjusted my weight "well it's a bit more complex than that but you get the idea". It was at this point I noticed the skeletons that I had shot, their skulls had mended.

"Does it have any other function than killing?" Bray interjected, he did it in such a way that suggests both respect and politeness.

"Dose a bow?" I quickly responded, with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, it is that kind of device" Keviesy said with noticeable air of sadness.

Bray to his credit walked over didn't seem phased, he just walked over to the gun and pointed it at my head then pulled the trigger. The clicking sound was obviously not what he wanted to hear and Bray shock the gun violently shouting "work, work dam it!"

After a few minutes of Bray trying to get the gun to work I had to interject "it is out of ammo" I said in an effort to stop this painful display.

Bray head couldn't snap to me fast enough and I heard a bone shattering crack, he fell to the ground dead. Keviesy gaze followed him to the ground and with a blank expression "oh no, he's dead" he said with enough sarcasm it was painful

"What should we do?" I asked with a hint of genuine concern.

"Wait" Keviesy said "he'll be up in a few minutes, also everybody drop the spears this one is harmless"

"He doesn't seem harmless" interjected one of the skeletons

"Well what would you do if the dead started to rise around you?" Keviesy retorted with speed that was quite amazing, almost as if it had be rehearsed

"Oh, I guess I would react the same" the skeleton said dropping his spear, the rest followed suit. this is when the bones of the skeleton who had just died stated getting up ... again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Question, and the Curse

"Well then, let's take this inside" Bray muttered to Keviesy, although he said it in a way that suggested he had a plan in mind or Bray was still mulling it over. Keviesy quickly gave a nod then signalled to the others, and suddenly two of the skeletons had me by the shoulders and where escorting me towards what appeared to be the inn. The inn was a large building with typical of the 11th century or those you see in quaint little towns along the way to the larger cities when you stop the car on a road trip, the inns interior however was not as pretty as the two skeletons escorted me to the table it was clear that time had not been kind. the tables, the ones that weren't shattered were knocked over. all three of them, the chairs were in a similar state of array although a lot more remained intact. The paintings were ripped, torn, and faded. the carpet was simply decimate, either by the rain or simple decay and the barrels that once housed ale now had massive holes in them, and the Ale was now a Brown thick sludge apart from that the building was fine. though the wet wing had collapsed two Skeletons let me go long enough to set up a table with four chairs, it was positioned so that three of the chairs were facing one of them. they then sat me down then scurrying back to the door and then disappearing from view from view through the door.

It was some time before both Bray and Keviesy enter, though they were accompanied by two other skeletons one of which was carrying a plate of steaming hot food. Bray and Keviesy along with another sat down the other one just place the food in front of me bowed then walked over to a wall and started to play dead, something the skeletons were immensely qualified for. I was starving at this point but the stairs of Bray, Keviesy their new companion was quite unnerving, but starvation kicked me in the stomach so I gave in and started eating. skeleton who delivered the plate seemed happy when I started eating as it muttered something in approval. I was half way through a chicken piece, well at least it tasted like chicken when Bray put down my rifle and inquired

"what are you?" There was a great curiosity, but also a small amount of fear in the question as if Bray didn't want it answered.

"Huh?" I crooked with half a mouth fall of chicken.

"What are you?" bray repeated without skipping a beat, I swallowed my food and this time answer clearly.

"I could ask you the same thing" I looked at Bray with a stern stair, but my gaze moved across to the other new skeleton at the table. it was thinner skeleton than the others, could have been teenager or a woman, but it held its self up higher giving it more of a sense of authority than Bray and Keviesy. swallowing another piece of chicken I asked a question

"who are you?", both Bray and Keviesy looked immediately mortified, like most people would look like if you straggled a cat and used it as neck tie. to the third's credit it didn't even move let alone looked phased.

"I am the captain of the guard, harbinger of justice, worshiper of his majesty in all of his benevolence..." the third prattled on, the tone filed with smug suppirortay, and I realised why they looked so mortified. I gave Keviesy a look as if to

"say does this one always do this" Keviesy response glance was something along the lines of

"do I even need to answer that",

"Right" I shot back

he was about to shoot me a glance when I interrupted the skeletons speak about all of its titles.

"could you, shut up" I said in a dead pan tone that would put a zombie to shame. Both Bray and Keviesy looked relived by my interruption. the third didn't look impressed an scoffed at me before responding with

" I am Lady Madeline! I am the captain of the guard, harbinger of justice, worshiper of his majesty in all of his benevolence..." she was stopped by an ice blast to the face freezing her jaw shut, Bray and Keviesy showed mild concern. finishing my plate the other skeleton sprang to life It, this was something that seemed normal by now. It grabbed he plate then scurried off somewhere, before I could see where bray grabbed my attention.

"moving back to my question, what are you?" a second passed.

"Why do you keep asking that?" I responded with an air of curiosity and confusion

"well you don't look like any race that has been alive for about 12 centuries, and we should know" I paused.

"wait, how old are you?"

"about, oh ... say ... 13 centuries." Bray responded without missing a beat " varies for everybody you see"

"ok, well I'm confused" I said, we all herd the cracking of ice as Lady Madeline broke free

"just tell us what you are!" Lady Madeline interrupted the anger in her voice was clear as day and clearly tired of the run around I was giving, much like a kid getting tired of tag

"I'm a Human, What are you?" I responded with sarcasm, though they all seemed shocked at this announcement and taken back by it. the silence hung in the air like a spider hanging of its thread of web and everyone was afraid to disturb it lest the spider go for them as a result. Keviesy was the one to break the silence and his tone was as calm as a frozen lake.

"Really?" he said, if he had eyebrows they would be raised.

"Yes, is that really so strange?" I responded with a large amount of confusion in my voice.

"well considering humans have been dead for 11 of my 12 centuries, yeah. you bet it's strange." this seemed weird Humans were here about 11 centuries ago, it did seem real. I was quite deep in thought but it was Lady Madeline voice that pulled me out of my trance.

"well it is my opinion" Lady Madeline said the air of smug superiority still in her voice "that he, she or ..." she fumbled with her next word as though it was piece of food that tasted horrible, after a few more seconds she spat it out "It, should go and remove the curse!"

"yes, yes I was getting to that" Keviesy said , he seemed annoyed.

"What curse?" I asked, my interest peaked. Lady Madeline was quicker than Keviesy and was the first to respond "you will go to the castle, and ..." I cut her off before she could get to far.

"and let me guess, you want me to ..." I fumbled with an idea for something that sounded stereotypical, and insulting. Though my imagination failed me so I just went with a classic "slay a dragon and save a fair maiden?" the Turing of the heads towards each other suggested my insult was on the money, after a few seconds of awkward silence passed. thankfully Bray broke it before it was upgraded to a stunned silence.

"Well, I don't think you will have to fight a dragon so..." he said awkwardly, "there is however a dark sorcerer, so..." as I starred at his in sarcastic disbelief.

"Wait" a said, realisation flushing into my mind "You want me to kill the sorcerer so you can die." the three weren't even phased by the question in fact they seemed happy, by my question Lady Madeline was again first to speak out of the three.

"Yes, and you will do it now!" she commanded, which made here quite taken back by my response to her command.

"No!" I responded with a suddenness that surprised her, the other two didn't seemed phased Bray and Keviesy. Lady Madeline however was not impressed, standing up and slamming her bony hands into the table. she looked as though she would explode

"no... No... NO!" she mimicked each time getting angry and louder. "We are Cursed, forced to live forever and you won't help us?! after we gave you hot meal!" I cut her off before she could go any further

"You are going to have to give me more than the hot meal if you want my cooperation" I said, almost shouting.

"Oh" she said taking her seat, "well, we could ... give you ... 3,000 talons ... and ... Brays staff"

"No!" Bray shouted, with extreme protest in his voice "No" said this time but more clam "I have had this staff for 12 centuries, and I won't give it up" but he seemed more to be in more of a diplomatic mood than before. his hand reaches to grown and comes back up with a metal staff. it had large flower carvings on it and was separated into segments by small bands that stuck out by about two centre meters, at regular intervals at the top a four pronged claw head in place a rather sharp looking diamond that would crackle with electricity every few seconds or so. "will this do?" Bray asked my mouth fell open and it took me a while to become articulate again.

"Give me that, the gold, a change of clothes, and a new back pack and you have got yourself a deal" was the only thing I could say. but did so with extreme enthusiasm.

"Done" Bray said, signalling a skeleton to gather the other supplies. though Keviesy, was quick to speak.

"I must ask one more thing", he said

"what" I responded. he pushed a knife and a small stone across the table, something I really should have noticed when I entered the room.

"when you kill the sorcerer and break the curse, stab me in the head with the knife. my soul shall be transferred to the gem"

"ok, why" I asked curious

"I don't want to die, also you have to bring me and lady Madeline along with you" he responded

"to insure the job gets done?" I asked

"exactly!" he responded, there was now a fire in his voice.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Why am I Here?

The light was faded as we made it to the top of the hill into an almost golden haze, it had an almost poetic setting to it taking a look behind at the village in its destroyed and degraded state smoke still rising from the roof of the chimney from the inn. Lady Madeline and Keviesy weren't far behind both dressed in armour and looking more regale than they had before. It was very good armour the kind only the wealthy or generals could afford, it was in the style of the roman centurion armour but had the difference of more leather than steel. the steel was all one solid piece and with the exception of the shoulders as they were two large plates of metal and only extended shortly down past the shoulders. upon the chest was a emblem it looked much like a phoenix, but the fire around it wasn't red, rather it was green. Both had helmets in the style of roman centurions.

"Hurry up" I said impatiently, wanting to waste no time.

"Were coming, were coming" they both replied with great synchronisation.

as I waited I studied my own new outfit they had given me. I had a large green robe with flowing water patterns on it, my new boots were similar to that of Lady Madeline and Keviesy. though this had lighter souls in it. beneath that I had a cloth tunic it was white, my pants were a dark brown. although the robe looked more function then fashion I certainly could fell the aura of the robe increasing my power. I had started leaning on my staff when the two got to the top of the hill they seemed tired.

"so?" I questioned in an inquisitive tone "Where is the Doom fort?" they seemed slightly taken back by the question as if I hit an off note in a music performance.

"No ... er ... you never told us your name" Lady Madeline responded, there was a shakiness in her voice.

"Luke Skywalker" the sarcasm was so apparent that I blind man wouldn't miss it if it flew past. But Lady Madeline and Keviesy still managed to miss it.

"well Luke..." I cut her off before she could finish.

"I was being sarcastic"

"Oh, well .What is your name?"

"Dwennon"

"that's an odd name" I shrugged

"it's mine"

"anyway" she resumed "The Doom Fortress is that way" she pointed off to west of the town "were headed to fort killkrith".

"Ok well can we get going?"

"yes"

so I picked up my feet and walked and continued and so the village rolled out of sight all that I could see . It was about two hours later when we made in a clearing about two minutes from the road, the camp was a fire and one tent. The tent was for me, Lady Madeline and Keviesy on the other hand just fell beside different trees.

"Ok" Keviesy announced as he built the fire "we leave in the morning" puzzled I opened my mouth.

"aren't you dead?"

"yes, so?" he wasn't even phased by the question, so I asked another

"so you don't need sleep right?" before he could answer Lady Madeline interjected with answer to my question.

"It's for you" she said in a monotone voice while she was propped up against a tree looking quite dead.

"you sleep, we will keep watch" Keviesy nodded in agreement that he went to lean next to a tree.

"Oh, Ok" I said heading into the tent, feeling slightly sheepish as I lay down on the bed roll and removed my boots. The low light of the camp fire and crackling of burning wood and made staying wake hard and soon enough the darkness enveloped me. The path was wet and the rain lightly bounced of my green jacket as a cycled along the path toward my school cars driving past brings up sprays. It had rained heavily yesterday and the water had built up around the lake, I got closer to the path that ran beside the lake and stopped at the top of the hill.

"Balls" I muttered the road was flooded as was what tended to happened to rain heavily. thinking for a moment waging up the odd of how flooded the road would be, the rain lightly bouncing of my jacket the entire time. With a sigh I let go the brakes and pushed down upon the pedals, as the speed built I became aware of a small glowing speck though it was getting bigger as I approached it was the size of my hand, it gave of streaks of pale blue light at infrequent intervals but the lines leading into a dark blue, but the centre was pick black. it was about the size of my fist, the water was growing ever closer but the portal was about 20cm in front of it. I was about to hit the water and I was getting ready to feel the spray that would be flicked up by the tires, when the small fist of blue grew to the size of a large door way and I went straight through. I was expecting I would hit A solid surface to hit but I went straight through the door to a castle and I had goon through with some speed so I came crashing down the stairs, on my way down the I hit one of the stairs at an odd although the angle and the lights went out.

I was brought back to my senesce by a low hum, letting out a grone I open my eyes. it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the light level it was quite low it was lit only by the natural light and that of the portal. I became aware that the portal was humming and as I got up it gave a quick low hum then dissipated.

"Brilliant" I gestured to the place where the portal how been, I stopped to take in my surroundings it was a tower of the 11 hundreds English style. It had triangle windows with early morning light was wafting into the room all of the room was cobble stone, there were several places where torches could be placed and several destroyed wooden tables and chairs. they seemed burned, in the centre of the room was a set of stairs in that were in a circle at the top was a platform that seemed to glow with blue energy if it wasn't for the structure in the place would be an ordinary tower. my bike was on the ground quite mangled, sitting down on the one of the pieces of wood when I noticed my clothes. they had changed I was no longer wearing green jacket instead A dull grey hoddie was in its place. I had also got a pair of brown boots both of witch where worn, some black track pants and a pale blue shirt.

"well good to see you're up" Echoed a friendly voice. I Jumped at the sudden voice, looking up there was an old man in the doorway, he looked about in his mid sixties and he had a large white beard and was in a white robe with golden enrobing upon it. he was leaning on his staff with was an old wooden one with an ornate gem in the centre. he was constantly changing hands with the staff and his weight to.

"If you wondering about the change of clothes, that would be the portals fault" he spoke again, there was almost a supreme authority to his voice that made me like the wizard. at least he looked like a wizard.

"Oh, yes ... and my name is Maxus, the Wizard"

"Ok" I responded in a confused tone.

"Why am I here?"


End file.
